A lawsuit brought by a nonprofit organization against a Stockton shelter claims they have a history of abuse at the facility.

A lawsuit brought by a nonprofit organization against a Stockton shelter claims they have a history of abuse at the facility.

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Updated: 6:18 PM PDT Mar 11, 2014

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WEBVTT STRUCTURES, AND WE WILL KEEP YOU UPDATED ON THAT THROUGHOUT THE NEWSCAST AND BRING YOU ANY NEW INFORMATION AS IT COMES INTO OUR NEWSROOM. NOW TO ANOTHER STORY WE ARE FOLLOWING, THIS IS NEW AT 6:00, A NORTHERN CALIFORNIA SHELTER FACING A LAWSUIT, WITH A NONPROFIT SAYING SOME ANIMALS ARE BEING PUT DOWN BEFORE THEY EVER HAVE A CHANCE TO BE ADOPTED. THEY ARE NOT FOLLOWING THE LAW AND ALLOWING ANIMALS A LONGER TIME TO FIND A HOME, AND THEY ARE EUTHANIZING THEM. THE GROUP BEHIND THE LAWSUIT ALSO SAYS THE SHELTER ALSO HAS A HISTORY OF ABUSE. WE HAVE MORE ON WHAT THE NONPROFIT ONCE AND WHAT THEY ARE SAYING THEY CAN AND CANNOT DO AT THIS POINT. THE LAWSUIT SAYS THIS SHELTER HAS AN ONGOING PROBLEM WITH VIOLATING THE LAW. THEY SAY THEY ARE NOT TAKING CARE OF THE ANIMALS, BUT THE SHELTER SAYS THEY CANNOT COMMENT ON THE LAWSUIT BUT THAT EVERYBODY THERE DOES ALL THEY CAN TO HELP THE ANIMALS. THE LEGAL DEFENSE FUND SAYS THEY ARE NOT GIVING EVERY ANIMAL A FAIR CHANCE. BETWEEN OCTOBER 2012 AND OCTOBER 2013, 1500 ANIMALS WERE EUTHANIZED PREMATURELY. THE GROUP FILED THE LAWSUIT IN SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT AGAINST THE CITY OF STOCKTON AND THE SHELTER. IT ALLEGES THAT THE SHELTER EUTHANIZE IS THE ANIMALS EARLIER THAN THE LEGAL SIX-DAY HOLDING PERIOD, AND THEY SAY THE LAWSUIT WAS THE LAST RESORT. THOSE THAT ARE CONSIDERED NOT ADOPTABLE ARE NOT TREATED AS THEY ARE REQUIRED TO BY LAW AND ARE NOT GIVEN A CHANCE TO FIND A HOME. THE ANIMAL SHELTER SAYS THEY CANNOT COMMENT ON THE LAWSUIT, BUT THE DIRECTOR SAYS THEY DO WHAT THEY CAN FOR THESE ANIMALS. IF YOU REALLY LOOK AT THE STATISTICS, YOU COME TO THE SHELTER AND SEE THE IMPACT OF HOW MANY DOGS COME INTO THE SHELTER EVERY DAY. WE ARE LIMITED. WE CAN ONLY KEEP SO MANY ANIMALS HERE. THEY SAY THE SHELTER LIVE RELEASE RATE HAS INCREASED, BUT THE LAWSUIT ALLEGES THERE IS ONGOING HAD EARNED OF ABUSE. WE NEED TO TELL THE CITY THAT THEY NEED TO FOLLOW STATE LAW AND STOCKTON LAW. THAT MEANS THE ANIMALS NEED TO BE HELD LONGER, HE GIVEN A BETTER CHANCE FOR ADOPTION, AND BE GIVEN THAT ARE AN APPROPRIATE MEDICAL CARE BEFORE THEY ARE ADOPTED. WE NEVER WENT TO EUTHANIZE AN ANIMAL, BUT TODAY, THAT IS NOT POSSIBLE FOR US. THEY SAY THEY HAD TO ASK A BANKRUPTCY JUDGE IN ORDER TO FILE THE LAWSUIT BECAUSE STOCKTON IS IN BANKRUPTCY, BUT

Stockton animal shelter accused of abuse

A lawsuit brought by a nonprofit organization against a Stockton shelter claims they have a history of abuse at the facility.